Have you ever found yourself drawn into a story of abduction and the return of the victim to society? The captivity narrative is a surprisingly flexible, durable, and popular genre. At their core, these are gripping stories of survival that also challenge and create our culture and identity. Traditionally thought of as nonfictional accounts of the capture of a white person by Native Americans on the frontier, ending with their redemption, this class will examine many ways to write about and on captivity. The possibility and threat of border-crossing is central to these stories, and issues of race and gender are always present. Several early American captivity narratives will be read, but we will also examine more recent captivity narratives that center on alien abduction, a POW story, and more.

Most writing is nonfiction writing, and, "academic essays" aside, the category covers a huge range of genres: personal essays, memoirs, journalism, "new" journalism, reporting, nonfiction novels. . . the list could go on. In this course, we will both read and write in a variety of nonfiction modes: we'll read essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Marilynne Robinson and James Baldwin, short and long journalistic pieces by Hunter Thompson, Malcolm Gladwell and others, and books by Terry Tempest Williams and Truman Capote. And along the way, we'll write -- essays, character studies, journalistic pieces and longer analyses. The goal, everywhere, will to do what all nonfiction writers do: to tell the truth, to tell it deeply, and to be interesting about it.

This is a writing seminar, so expect a lot of reading and a lot of writing. Work with texts will alternate with work on revision, clarity and style. A good time will be had by all.

The continent of Africa remains to most students a distant and exotic land, difficult to imagine, and even harder to understand. In this course, we will attempt to become familiar with this part of the world - its peoples, its history, its politics, its current predicaments. By studying the many different countries and regions that make up this continent, the goal will be to better appreciate, on the one hand, that which makes African politics so unique, rich, and diverse, yet at the same time, to recognize the overwhelming similarities of the struggles of people everywhere. Prerequisite: Previous work in social science or permission of instructor.

Since the beginning of this country, African-American thinkers have pondered how a constitutionally-based democracy justifies race-based discrimination. We'll use the writings of W. E. DuBois, Patricia Williams, Audre Lorde, and Cornel West to think through various strategies to deal with systemic violence perpetrated against people with darker skins.

This September marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001. Some scholars argue that a decade is needed to absorb a "national trauma." What cultural responses to the 9/11 attacks are evident in the past decade?

Through different media, cultural criticism and theory, we will explore changes in American culture since 9/11, including the tolerance of surveillance, anticipation of future attacks, commemoration and disaster tourism, and renewed nationalism and xenophobia in popular culture. Coursework will include film showings outside class, in-class reports and collaborative analysis, and substantial research projects. Prerequisite: Course work in the social sciences or humanities

From 1861 to 1865, the United States plunged into a bitter Civil War that would completely alter the country we live in. This course will examine some of the changes that occurred in the political, military, economic, socio-cultural and technological landscape of America during those years. This will be a discussion-driven class with short, weekly writing responses. Taught by student: William Finkel. Prerequisite: None

This course will examine the development of Chinese culture from the earliest divination rites and the Book of Changes to the flowering of drama and literature during the Ming dynasty. Along the way we will explore the sparring schools of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism; we will study the creation and growth of the imperial institution and meritocratic civil service that made it work; we will consider some of the fabulous economic and technological developments that made Chinese products the envy of the world in the 17th century; and we will read a selection of poetry and prose by Tang hermits, Song officials, and Ming aesthetes. The course will be integrated with a year-long Marlboro College lecture series, held on occasional Monday evenings, that will bring outside experts to speak on diverse aspects of Chinese culture. Prerequisite: None. Please note that students wishing to take part in the college-sponsored trip to China in May-June 2012 should take either this course, or its spring-semester continuation (Modern Chinese History and Culture), or both.

An overview of the dominant theories and issues that have shaped anthropological research and writing in the 20th century. Paradigms to be investigated include Boasian anthropology, functionalism, French structuralism, cultural materialism, sociobiology, interpretive anthropology, feminist anthropology, historical anthropology, and reflexive anthropology. Prerequisite: Background in social sciences or permission of instructor

This course provides a forum for students to share their Plan work with each other and to engage in critical dialogue. This semester the course will include a series of presentations on contemporary artists by Visiting Professor Jeffery Stuker as well as 2-3 field trips to galleries in NYC also led by him. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: A student on Plan in the Visual Arts or by permission. Some classes will include an evening session 6:30-8:00pm for continued critiques.

An examination of the methods used in problems encountered in trying to teach computers to "think." Topics covered will be among the following: representation of knowledge, learning, game theory, perception, neural networks, cellular automata, cognitive modeling, and natural language processing. Most people who work in AI program in Lisp, and so we will likely use it as well (learn it along the way), but that won't be the main focus of the course. This is an intermediate course in computer science and as such assumes previous programming experience. Prerequisite: Substantive programming experience

This course introduces students to modern dance technique. Each class will consist of a warm-up, exercises across the floor, and longer combinations of movement. Through studio practice, students will build physical coordination, strength, flexibility, balance, body awareness, and an understanding of principles of modern dance. Some readings and video viewings will be used to help students contextualize their studio practice. The course will also include some creative work. May be repeated one time for credit. Prerequisite: None

Biochemists used to debate the nature of proteins: their composition, structure, and function. Now we know many extraordinary details of the shapes of proteins and how they function. For example, how they help our bodies acquire nutrients from food, use those nutrients for fuel, and carry oxygen to our tissues. In particular, researchers have revealed the intricacies of how a protein's structure is related to its function. In this course we will employ an evolutionary perspective as we discuss major topics such as amino acids, proteins and protein structure, bioenergetics, enzymes and enzyme function. We will also study major metabolic pathways and their key control points. Our goals are for you to develop a thorough understanding of how enzymes work and to be familiar with key metabolic pathways and how they are controlled. The course will include class discussions and presentations based on the text and primary literature, homework assignments, a 5-page paper and exams (including a final exam).Prerequisite: General Chemistry I and II, or instructor's permission

This laboratory will be an introduction to techniques commonly used by biochemists, and must be taken in conjunction with Biochemistry of the Cell. Your work in the laboratory will focus on a semester-long investigation of an enzyme. This project will allow you to perform your own biochemistry research project in which you will employ the principles of chemistry and biochemistry that we study in the classroom.

The protein you will investigate is already well-characterized. That is, previous research has described in detail the properties of the enzyme. Your goal is to determine if the enzyme you isolate is the same as that described in the primary literature. To answer this question we will begin with basic laboratory procedures such as preparing reagents, chromatography, and performing a protein assay. We will then explore techniques for studying the activity of enzymes, and methods for separating proteins, such as one and two-dimensional electrophoresis. Finally we will employ methods for the identification of specific proteins using immuno-staining, and a phenomenally sensitive technique for quantifying a specific protein in solution, the enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). Throughout this semester-long project you will also learn about the procedures for data acquisition and analysis that will allow you to draw meaningful conclusions from your results. Prerequisite: General Chemistry I & II Corequisite: Biochemistry of the Cell

This course will introduce students to the primary forming methods in ceramics as well as providing the building blocks for a technical understanding of the material and processes. Students will be encouraged in a variety of making techniques working both sculpturally and functionally. Prerequisite: None

An opportunity for students to meet on a weekly basis to read and rehearse music from the standard chamber music repertoire. Woodwind, string, brass instruments welcome. Prerequisite: Ability to play an instrument and read music. Course may be repeated for credit.

In this class, students will explore both the art and the craft of making dances. Responding to specific assignments, students will create a number of dances throughout the semester, bringing a new draft to class each week. Class sessions will focus on viewing and discussing students' work, and when appropriate, on exploring tools for the creative process and ideas about composition. Attention will be given to learning how to give and receive choreographic feedback, and to editing and developing existing choreography. In addition, students will study the choreographic methods of other artists independently and commit a substantial amount of time outside of class to the completion of choreographic studies. Students will present their final projects in an end of the semester show.

An exploration of what it means to view and analyze dances that come from cultures other than one's own, conducted in preparation for fieldwork to be completed the following semester. Readings will include dance cultures from around the world with an emphasis on dances of Africa.

While Asia is still often thought of as primarily agricultural, it is now home to most of the world's largest cities. And while these cities are rightly seen as places for coming together, they also depend on social segregations. In "dark twins" such as ghettos, squatter settlements, sweatshops, jails and sewer systems, much of the work that allows these newly prosperous cities to function takes place. Using history, sociology, anthropology, journalism and urban planning, we will peer into the history of these hidden spaces. What institutions, formal and informal, create and preserve urban enclaves? How does the study of these "dark twins" change our understanding of cosmopolises such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Calcutta. and Chandigarh? Prerequisite: None, but knowledge of Asian history helpful

This course is designed to acquaint students who are preparing for independent research with a diverse range of fieldwork methods. We will consider matters of epistemology, access, observation, interviewing and surveying, collecting, note taking and reporting. Cross-cultural challenges and the ethics of fieldwork will also feature in our discussions. Over the course of the semester, students will develop an Internship Proposal that describes their academic and professional goals, explaining what they expect to learn; the methods of their independent work; resources found and still needed; and how the work will be evaluated. These proposals function as learning contracts for their academic sponsors, requests for funding for scholarship organizations, and presentation pieces for the hosting organization. Prerequisite: Finding an internship or permission of instructor

Note: Designing Fieldwork will likely NOT be offered in Spring 2012. Students intending to take the course this academic year should do so in Fall 2011.

Discrete math is the study of mathematical objects on which there is no natural notion of continuity. Examples include the integers, networks, permutations and search trees. After an introduction to the tools needed to study the subject, the emphasis will be on you *doing* mathematics. Series of problems will lead gradually to proofs of major theorems in various areas of the discipline. This course is recommended for those intending to do advanced work in math or computer science. Prerequisite: None

This course seeks to convey a sense of the discipline of Economics as a whole--its history, methods, and substantive concerns. The course examines processes common to all systems (e.g., division of labor, production, exchange, growth) and it examines whole systems as modeled and as observed. Prerequisite: None

This course is for beginners. It is designed to help students develop communicative competence in the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will learn basic vocabulary and sentence structures used in everyday situations through various forms of oral practice. Pinyin (the most widely used Chinese phonetic system) will be taught as a tool to learn the spoken language. Students will also learn Chinese characters in order to be able to communicate effectively in real Chinese situations. While linguistic aspects of the Chinese language are the primary focus, introduction to the social and cultural background of the language will also form an important part of the course. Prerequisite: None

An additional 50 minutes a week is to be added. The specific time is based on the mutual agreement of those who wish to enroll and the instructor

Class discussion of students' stories. Each student produces work for the class and participates in analysis and discussion. Reading and assignments vary as appropriate (variable credits: 2-5); admission based on consideration of samples of students' work. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

As sculpture moved off the pedestal in the first half of this century it found new relationships to its place in the world. The development of earth art, installation art, and site specific sculpture have created a realm of activity for sculptors which has been varied and rich. Through a series of projects and investigations of places and objects, including light and sound, mapping, indoor and outdoor installations, and modelmaking, students will create a series of works. Prerequisite: Sculpture I and at least one other art course or permission of instructor. Additional Fee:$60

This workshop will examine all the components of a table service. Focusing on continuity and diversity within their designs, students will make settings that create a visual and functional feast. Making methods will not be limited to wheel-throwing. Readings will be drawn from Material Culture Theory, contemporary Craft Theory and Philosophy to expand the foundation of ideas functional production may draw from. There will be a written component and field trips required in this class. Prerequisite: Two ceramics classes or permission of the instructor. Additional Fee: $90

Chemistry has a rich history, including ancient theories on the nature of matter and recipes for converting lead into gold. Modern research and applications are equally exciting. For example, mdoels of chemical bonds explain why carbon dioxide and methane are greenhouse gases, and some of the colors we see in the Aurora Borealis. We will explore these topics as we learn about atomic structure and the periodic table, reaction stoichiometry, chemical bonds, molecular structure, and other concepts central to modern chemistry. Many of these topics are related to current health and environmental issues. For example, discussions of pH and reduction-oxidation reactions include research on the natural chemistry of surface waters and the effects of acid rain on natural systems. Prerequisite: Co-requisite of General Chemistry I Laboratory

Science is a process, not a collection of facts. In this laboratory we will combine the study of chemistry with the process of science by exploring the production of biofuels. We will begin by developing some basic quantitative skills and familiarity with laboratory techniques. The activities for these early parts of the lab will be fairly structured. As you develop your ability to approach a problem scientifically the activities will be less structured and you will have more responsibility for designing and conducting your own experiments on the production and analysis of biofuels. Students will work on projects in groups but each student will keep their own laboratory notebook and write their own laboratory reports. Prerequisite: Co-requisite of General Chemistry I

An examination of several major factors which contribute to the distribution and abundance of organisms and, hence, to the structure of biotic communities. An emphasis will be placed on the original literature. This course should be taken by all students with a life-science orientation in the environmental sciences. Prerequisite: College level biology

In this lab we will take a hands-on approach to learning important concepts discussed in the General Ecology class. You will be introduced to the methods that ecologists use to design, carry out and analyze research. The scheduled day is tentative and may change once students are enrolled. Prerequisite: Co-requisite General Ecology, NSC140

The first semester of a two semester introductory course in physics, this is an algebra-based approach that involves some laboratory work, suitable for students considering a plan in physics, science students or non-science students who want a physics foundation. Topics include vector algebra, kinematics, dynamics of single and many-particle systems, gravitation, energy, momentum, conservation laws and circular and rigid body motion. Prerequisite: Mathematical proficiency through but not

In 1953 scientists James Watson and Francis Crick first deduced the structure of DNA, and since then the advances in molecular biology have been staggering. Scientists can make plants resistant to pesticides. Doctors can cure children born with no immune system. Genome sequencing and stem cell technology may someday lead to personalized medical advice and replacement organs grown from your own skin cells. But DNA science also raises serious ethical questions. For example, what risks do we take when we release genetically engineered organisms into the environment, and do pest-resistant GM crops really reduce the use of pesticides? In this course we will explore advances in human understanding of DNA, and the promises and perils associated with scientists' ability to manipulate genetic material. We will examine the personalities driving DNA research, as well as the politics and financial incentives involved.

This course will provide a general introduction to the nature and function of DNA, RNA, and protein, both in the classroom and in the laboratory. Students with prior experience in these topics are welcome although the course is intended as a general introduction to non-specialists. This course is therefore not considered a foundation course that prepares students for advanced study in the field. Prerequisite: None

This course will explain the basics of a branch of mathematics called Group Theory by examining Rubik's Cube and other similar puzzles. My hope is that the puzzles will motivate the ideas behind Group Theory. Although this is an introductory course and does not depend on any previous math (we will, for example, hardly use numbers at all), students should be comfortable with abstract thought. Prerequisite: Some facility with abstract concepts.

This course will be a laboratory exploring focused awareness of weight, initiation, musicality and sensation in our dancing. We will learn to commit to movement through our research in breath work, visualization, and static contraction.

This course is the continuation of Elementary Chinese II. Students will continue to learn more skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing for daily communication. A broad variety of expressions and complicated sentence structures will be taught so that students can participate in conversations on various topics related to modern Chinese society. While equal emphasis will still be given to both characters and structures, students will be guided to write more Chinese essays. Activities related to the broad spectrum of Chinese culture will be organized to facilitate language learning with knowledge and analysis of the cultural background of the language.

An additional 50 minutes a week is to be added. The specific time is based on the mutual agreement of those who wish to enroll and the instructor.

This course--offered in Fall 2011 in group tutorial format -- considers the theories and methods of contemporary neoclassical microeconomics. We will examine prices, markets, and market failures primarily from the perspectives of individual and organizational decision-makers and in consideration of efficiency and equity, among other assessment criteria.Topics include determination of prices and wages, individual and collective decision-making, the organization and regulation of production, and the distribution of income. The course offers solid grounding in the theory and methods of economics as required for further work in the field; it is required or recommended for many graduate and professional programs in business, law, and policy studies. Although this is a second-level course, the material is developed from the ground up, so previous work in economics is not required for students comfortable with basic algebraic and graphical analysis. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

Note: The "group tutorial" designation means that I will expect a greater degree of collaborative engagement on the part of students than might otherwise be the case with this material. For my planning purposes, I would appreciate hearing from interested students before the beginning of the semester. This Fall 2011 offering means that the course will not be offered in Fall 2012.

Strives for mastery of complex grammatical structures and continues work on writing and reading skills. Frequent compositions, selected literary readings and a short novel, class discussions, and debates on films and current events. Prerequisite: At least two consecutive semesters of college Spanish

This course provides an introduction to black and white 35mm photography. Students will learn basic camera operation, film exposure and development, and printing. Student work will be discussed regularly in critique where visual communication will be emphasized alongside technique. The course will also introduce some of the fundamental issues and movements within the history of photography. Prerequisite: None (manual 35mm camera will be helpful)Additional Fee: $100

This course is an introduction to the fundamental teachings presented in the foundational texts of Islam and elaborated in Islamic ritual, arts, and literature. Our aim, through studying the Qur'an and the life and teachings of the prophet Muhammad, is to grasp the internal logic of the Islamic worldview and the vocabulary used to articulate the vision of Islam. This work will provide the basis for examining the divergence within later (classical and modern) Muslim interpretations concerning questions of theology, human development and perfection, leadership, and the organization of communities. Prerequisite: None

The main goal of this survey course is to introduce students to the cultures & literatures of the Nahua, Maya and Inca peoples on the territory that after the conquest came to be known as Spanish America; we will then move on to examine accounts of the discovery, conquest and colonization; we will conclude the course with the writings produced in the age of Spanish American emancipation. In class, we will read letters, cronicas, stories, poems, novels and essays that in one way or another helped define an entire continent. It is hoped that through these readings the students learn to place the text within its literary, historical and cultural context, we will also learn to identify the common themes, the voices, and the complex historical conditions under which these texts emerge. Given the scope of the course and the period studied, attendance and punctual and careful reading of the assigned material is of utmost importance. Frequent absences or late coming to class will reflect negatively on the grade. Prerequsite: Upper language or literature courses in Spanish

This course serves as a broad introduction to the Medieval European world. There are two major goals of the course. First, students should become acquainted with the changes and narratives of medieval history as well as its significance to modern history. Second, as an introduction to the historical discipline, this course offers students the opportunity to learn the methods of historical research: how to use primary sources as well as historiography to formulate historical narratives and arguments. The course will look at the medieval world through a variety of lenses, including political, religious, economic and social history as well as looking at the art, music and literature of the time. Prerequisite: None

This course will introduce the diversity of native traditions as well as elucidate various approaches to religious studies. Using literary texts and film we will explore the life ways and sacred ecology of Native Americans. Specific attention will be placed on the Lakota peoples of the great plains and the Puebloan peoples of the southwest. Together we will examine methodological issues regarding the study of myth and symbolism, theories of harmony and kinship, the transmission of knowledge and power, the dynamism of sacred narrative and ceremony as well as rites of initiation and healing. We will use case studies to examine contested issues; including, the encounter of traditional life ways with modern secular society, appropriation of ceremonies, social justice, and freedom of religion. Prerequisite: None

This is a first class in computer programming, and as such a foundation class for further work in computer science. Much as a competency with English grammar is required for writing, an understanding of programming is required for nearly all intermediate and advanced work in computer science. A similar course is offered every fall, though the language chosen varies from year to year. Python is a modern, elegant, high level scripting language, popular at Google among other places. In addition to learning about "object oriented programming", loops, input/output and all that, expect to also learn a variety of computer skills and basics. Prerequisite: None

An introduction to the ideas, concepts, theories and methodologies of the discipline of sociology, its relationship to the other social sciences, history and philosophy and its relevance to an understanding of social reality. Prerequisite: None

The Jazz Ensemble will operate in the historic "jazz workshop" format, where participants bring ideas and materials they would like to see realized. All levels of experience with Jazz and improvised music are welcome, but a technical facility with an instrument is expected.

If you haven't played in a music ensemble before, or have questions of fit in terms of technique, please see Rubinstein personally.

This is a beginner's course in Latin. Students come to Latin for many reasons: to understand better their own and other languages; to access one of the richest bodies of literature and history in the world; or simply as an intellectual test. Latin is a demanding language, and students should be prepared for regular short quizzes to reinforce material as we go along, but consistent effort will pay rich dividends. We'll be working from Wheelock's Latin (6th edition), which introduces students to the basic elements of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, and offers students original Latin thought and language as soon as possible. Prerequisite: None

This course is a continuation of Latin IA and Latin IB. We will aim to finish Wheelock's Latin and move on to original texts by the end of the semester. The choice of texts studied will very much depend on the interests and enthusiasms of students: we could try Catullus' lewd love poems, or Vergil's Dido and Aeneas, or Tacitus' thoughts on living under a dictatorship. Prerequisite: Latin IA and IB

Ensemble singing for more experienced choristers. Ability to read music and sight-sing. An exploration of repertoire from Renaissance to contemporary music for small choral ensemble. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Ability to read music helpful

Reading of key texts in theory and cultural history on the characteristics and dynamics of modernity and postmodernity. Individual student projects applying the ideas of these texts to specific historical materials.

An extension of the ideas from Calculus and Calculus 2 to multivariable and vector functions. Topics covered include the geometry of 3-dimensional space, partial derivatives, multiple integrals and higher dimensional analogues of the fundamental theorem of calculus. Prerequisite: Calculus II or equivalent

We will engage in improvised music practices and the conceptual frameworks, techniques and musical vocabulary associated with them. As a general rule, we will divide our time between improvisation in workshop format and a seminar setting with readings on and by improvisers, intensive listening to recordings, and discussion of the topics - equal parts practical music making and academic enquiry. Proficiency with a musical instrument or in singing is required for the course. Music literacy, while recommended, is not necessary.

Blanchot, in The Writing of the Disaster, claims: "It is dark disaster that brings the light." Through selected works, we will examine the "dark disaster" of the Balkans: the anguish of war, of ethic tension, of exile, and the suffering of the Holocaust and "the machinations of greater power that vie to absorb." Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

Two works from the ancient world survive in greater numbers than any other: Homer's two great epics, the Iliad - the original story of the Trojan war - and the Odyssey, a colourful account of Odysseus' long journey home from Troy. Homer's work was a common cultural reference point for all Greece, and not without reason has been dubbed 'the bible of the Greeks'; Homer himself was often simply referred to as 'The Poet'. Vergil's Aeneid, a very Roman reworking of both epics, tells the story of the foundation of Rome, and achieved a similarly canonical status almost overnight.

But despite this canonical status, the ancient epics have retained their capacity to surprise us. In spite of its martial theme, Homer's Iliad is also a work deeply interested in the lives of others, be they women, children, or enemies. Vergil's Aeneid by contrast, so long disparaged as an eloquent but ultimately vacuous panegyric of the emperor Augustus, has in recent years been rehabilitated as a profound and at times disturbing meditation on the darker side of Roman imperialism. This course is a chance to trace this foundational genre from its ancient near eastern origins to imperial Rome; topics covered will include mythology and folklore, oral literature, heroism, gender, ethics, warfare, and the gods. Prerequisite: None.

A study of the anatomy, physiology, behavior, and ecology of birds. Text readings will be supplemented with primary literature and we will schedule regular bird walks in order to identify and observe birds in their natural habitat. Prerequisite: College-level biology; animal behavior and/or general ecology would be beneficial but are not required.

Phenomenology constitutes the most significant development in twentieth-century European philosophy; it is the foundation for existentialism, hermeneutics, post-structuralism, and deconstruction, and informs concepts and methods across the humanities and social sciences. We will begin with an analysis of the methodologies and foundational concepts of Edmund Husserl's phenomenology, including the phenomenological reduction, the intentional structure of consciousness, the lifeworld, meaning, truth, knowledge, the proper relationship between philosophy and science, and the critique of representationalism. We will move from Husserl's transcendental and genetic phenomenology to the existential and hermeneutic phenomenology of his student, Martin Heidegger, and devote a little more than half the semester to Heidegger's Being and Time. Being and Time is a phenomenological inquiry into the question of being that is most famous for its analyses of being-there, of existence in the world, with others, facing our death, authentic and inauthentic existence, freedom, meaning, conscience, and care. Finally, we will turn to the work of Emmanuel Levinas; grounded in phenomenological descriptions, Levinas argued that ethics is first philosophy. Levinas, more than any other philosopher, put the question of alterity, the question of the Other, at the heart of much contemporary theory, and he is often considered the most important European philosopher of ethics in the later half of the twentieth century.

In recent years, anthropologists have been experimenting with innovative forms of writing as a means to explore how they construct and represent people's lives in words. In this seminar we will consider how to read and write ethnographies and, in doing so, will ask questions about narrative form, audience, argument, uses of field data, the place of the fieldworker/writer, and more. Students are expected to either have field materials with which they want to work or be willing to do a small field-based project as part of the seminar. This seminar would work well taken with "Designing Fieldwork." Prerequisite: Course work in the social sciences or history

Political Theorists often write in times of crisis. When states are at war, when corruption rules supreme, political theorists step back and write down their thoughts. How can we live together? How should we organize our needs? What responsibility to we have to others? From Plato to Foucault, political theorists have wondered how we might better govern ourselves.This class considers the writings of prominent political theorists in the context of our current ecological crisis. The end of cheap oil will require new mechanisms for generating wealth and new arrangements for taking care of our basic needs. But it won't necessarily require new concepts. The goals for the class are two-fold: one will be to gain familiarity with classic texts in political theory; the other will be to apply those ideas to our current ecological crisis.

Probabilities pop up everyday like "There's a 30% chance of rain" or "The probability of being dealt a full house in stud poker is approximately 0.00144." Our main goal for the class will be developing various tools to calculate probabilities.

A year long course examining signs, memory, and meaning in three novels of Marcel Proust. Fall semester: Swann's Way, Within a Budding Grove, and The Guermantes Way. Spring Semester: Cities of the Plain, The Captive, The Fugitive, and Time Regained.

Major theories of personality are discussed and compared. The emphasis is on the underlying assumptions regarding persons and the therapies and psychotherapies which have emerged. Prerequisite: Abnormal Psychology or permission of instructor

With over two million people incarcerated in the U.S. and approximately 600,000 prisoners being released each year, issues of criminality, justice, and punishment have become central sites of struggle and contestation in the contemporary period. Over the last thirty years, the prison has become a central means through which social insecurities are expressed, struggled with and managed. Anti-prison activists, such as Angela Davis and Julia Sudbury, have coined the term

A reading of selected novels of the tensions in the 19th century, what Hardy calls the "ache of modernism," in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. We will examine the relationships between mechanizations and ethical concerns, gender issues, depictions of the city and the self, beginnings of media control and colonization in the works of Hardy, Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Trollope, Eliot, and Conrad. Prerequisite: None

Students will participate in the creation of a new choreographic work directed by faculty member, Kristin Horrigan. The choreography will be performed at the end of the fall semester. The working title for this year

Semantics is the study of the literal meaning of words and the meaning of the way words are combined. This course is a practical introduction to topics in formal semantics. It aims to provide a good understanding of a range of semantic phenomena and issues in semantics, using a truth-conditional account of meaning. The topics include modality and possible worlds, counterfactuals, generalized quantifiers, aktionsarten and event semantics, opacity and specificity, tense and aspect. Prerequisite: None

A year-long course, reading and discussing some of the major works of Western culture from Homer to Shakespeare. Heavy reading schedule, regular discussions, papers required. Designed as a course for sophomores or juniors. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

The seminar is organized around the different research topics of seniors doing Plan work in American Studies. Each student will assign and teach selected works in their subject area. Students will also present their own research in progress and read and critique each other's writing. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

How can cooperation enable us to become more active and experience more joy? Engaging in imaginative and collaborative action we can explore the ways that our habitual perceptions of reality shape our encounters.

Like stretching before the big race, this course is designed to get our creative juices flowing. Focused on the formal elements of line, texture, shape, space and structure in a variety of materials, students will be asked to delve into developing a personal aesthetic vocabulary. This is a foundation course for the visual arts designed to provide a base for further work in the visual arts curriculum. Prerequisite: None Additional Fee: $60

This course traces the history of family life in the U.S. from the time of European settlement to the end of the nineteenth century. Drawing on an interdisciplinary array of sources from popular literature to material culture, we will explore how the family both affected and was affected by the major historical developments of these centuries. Our study will include Anglo-American nuclear families as well as families and groups which did not fit the norm-- slave families, immigrant families and utopian communities. A central focus of the course will be the importance of the family in defining and reproducing gender roles and relationships. Prerequisite: None

This course will explore the use of narrative in photography, with and without inclusion of text. We will research and create narrative works in various forms from constructed fiction to the observed non-fictional and documentary. Prerequisite: Introduction to B/W Photography on the college level or by permission of instructor

Dozens of Vermont towns, including Marlboro, are celebrating their 250th anniversaries this year. The course will use the occasion of these semiquincentennial celebrations to frame and explore the topic of commemoration in relation to local history. We will draw on materials and methods from anthropology, history and performance studies to ask such questions as: How do people and places inscribe and perform their own history? Which stories are remembered as institutionalized public events, and which are forgotten, relegated to the private spaces of attic trunks? Students will create their own immersive historical experiences, commemorating some aspect of local history. Joining Carol, Kate, and Brenda in teaching the class will be Obie award-winning performance artist Ain Gordon whose own work has powerfully engaged issues of history and memory.

This course explores the language of objects. We are surrounded by things and take them for granted, but each item was made by a process of design. In a series of problems, students will be asked to design and build a chair, a package, and a game. Problems will focus on structure, presentation, and invention. The development of design styles will be studied as well. While Sculpture I explores the language of three dimension from a representational and expressive point of view, this course approaches the same language from the point of view of a problem solver. The inventive artistic result of this problem solving is often remarkable. Prerequisite: None Additional Fee:$80.

This course will explore the work of three of the twentieth century's most important modernist writers: Yeats, Eliot and Woolf. We will focus intensively on these writers' work, which we will read closely and slowly, and ask how each helped forge the modernist aesthetic. Students will also gain a broad understanding of literary culture (particularly Bloomsbury) in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Britain and Ireland. Prerequisite: One previous literature class or permission of professor

This course covers a wide range of math topics prerequisite for further study in mathematics and science and of interest in their own right. The course is divided into over 50 units (listed on the course web page). One credit will be earned for each group of 6 units completed. Students select units to improve their weak areas. There are also tailored streams for students who wish to go on to study calculus or statistics and for those who wish to prepare for the GRE exam. Over this semester and next, 42 units will be offered in the timetabled sessions. Individual tutorial-style arrangements can be made to study the non-timetabled units or to study units earlier than their scheduled session.

An exploration of major environmental themes and issues in U.S. History, from colonial times to the present. The inquiry is organized around a series of case studies that address such issues as land and land-use control, water resources, toxic substances, wildlife, and the environmental movement. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

After centuries of invisibility and marginalization, Latino culture and literature exploded on the American scene in the 60s. Chicanos, Cubans, Nuyoricans, and lately Dominicans and Central Americans have all contributed to create a diversified body of literature characterized by its bilingualism, biculturalism, and hybridity. This course will center on how U.S. Latino / a literature bears witness to identity formation, self-representation, and celebration of Latino culture and its people. It will explore a series of critical issues that define "latinidad" in the U.S. including language (bilingualism, Spanglish, code-switching, and "dialect"), race/ethnnicity/color, gender migration, racism, and difference. The texts in the course are representative of a great body of oral and written literature that articulates the experience of being Latina / o in the U.S. Although the course is taught in English, familiarity with Spanish is useful. This course requires the careful reading of the assigned materials, therefore, class participation, attendance and preparation is of utmost importance, continued absences and lack of preparation will reflect negatively on the grade. Prerequisite: None

The twentieth century was the bloodiest century in history: for the first time technology made it possible for armed forces to engage in routine attacks on civilian populations, to kill indiscriminately and from a distance, to destroy entire cities from the air, to threaten the annihilation of humanity itself. Our experiences with war in the last century have set the stage for the wars we fight today; more than that, our responses to today's conflicts are predicated on ways of thinking about war, and about human conflict generally, that developed in the preceding century. In this course, we will attempt to understand the wars of the last century, and the ways of thinking they have engendered, by looking at various cultural reactions to them: these will include books like Heller's Catch-22, Ernst Junger's Storm of Steel, Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, as well as films like "The Best Days of Our Lives," "Full Metal Jacket," and "Breaker Morant" and more. And of course, we will write about all of it: expect at least three major papers, culminating in a research paper, and weekly shorter writing assignments. Discussions of the text will alternate with work on writing: conferences, writing workshops, and discussions of style and structure. Prerequisite: None

Alcohol and other drug use. STIs. Eating disorders. Stress. Relationship violence. On their own, these issues of health and wellness can be difficult to discuss, but when placed within the context of a college campus, they take on an entirely different meaning. This course will allow participants to explore and reflect on the concepts of health and wellness through the lens of both their own experience as well as their peers around them. As we meet only once a week, attendence at all sessions is required.

"Well-behaved women rarely make history" has become a popular feminist mantra. In this course, we will read fiction, poetry and memoirs by women whose characters push against societal norms. As we read and discuss these texts, we will consider the following questions: To what extent is the label of ‘madness' a construct used to subdue or ostracize independent, aggressive and rebellious women? In what ways do women writers reappropriate female madness to critique sexism in their own society? How do ‘mad' characters deliver powerful and subversive messages? How does the media portray women writers who have experienced mental illness? And lastly, how do women writers use narrative style or poetic form to explore madness innovatively? Texts include The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture 1830-1980, The Yellow Wallpaper, Wide Sargasso Sea, Mrs. Dalloway, Housekeeping, The Bell Jar, Girl, Interrupted, A Short History of Women, poetry by Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, Eavan Boland and Medbh McGuckian, and selections from The Madwoman in the Attic. Prerequisite: None

A forum for discussion of cross-cultural experience and international work, with participation by faculty, visiting professionals, alumni and current students. The sessions include an introduction to international resources at Marlboro and SIT, with discussion of area studies, internships, and Plans in international studies. All students are welcome; required for new WSP students.

A ten-week seminar addressing cultural differences and adaptation, and the integration of international field experiences into senior Plan work. Required of WSP seniors; for students returning from study or fieldwork abroad. Graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Prerequisite: Study/field experience abroad

Course time will be determined based on the mutual agreement of those who wish to enroll.

We will study the writing and presentation of mathematics. All skills needed for writing Plan-level math will be discussed, from the overall structure of a math paper down to the use of the typesetting package LaTeX. Much of the time will be spent working on writing proofs. Short papers, based on material in your other math classes, will be read and discussed as a group. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Concurrent course or tutorial that includes substantial mathematical content and permission of instructor